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Miami Heat Roundtable: Dwyane Wade is back with Miami

By Brandon Johnson

MIAMI, FL - AUGUST 09: Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat stretches during NBA Off-season training with Remy Workouts on August 8, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - AUGUST 09: Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat stretches during NBA Off-season training with Remy Workouts on August 8, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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MIAMI, FL – APRIL 19: Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat ties shoes before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game Three of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2018 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL – APRIL 19: Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat ties shoes before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game Three of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2018 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Wade played all 21 Heat games off the bench last season. Should he start in 2018-19?

Johnson: Why not? At the very least, Wade should start all of Miami’s home games. Having public address announcer Michael Baiamonte shout his name through the AmericanAirlines Arena would be a perfect sendoff to his career. Miami isn’t contending for a title this season, so giving Wade the chance to start games opposite some of his friends and rivals – Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, etc. – could serve to hype up matches for a work-in-progress Heat team.

Ebrahim: I’m alright with it if it’s simply in name. Let him start the game, but he still plays the same amount of minutes as he usually would. If that’s something the Heat do for his legacy or whatever, I’m good with that. But for him to play starter minutes? I think that’ll hamper him (and the team). and actually destroy the final season he’s trying to have. We don’t want to see a shattered D-Wade or a D-Wade not dressed cause of maintenance/injury during his final games vs. some teams. I also like the idea of him coming off the bench, cause he’ll get a proper welcome into each game, in each arena, as the first sub off the bench. The moment can be for him specifically.

Eyrich: With Dion Waiters likely not going to be ready by the season start, I think we see Wade starting. I don’t believe we will see it all season, but there will be times that the Heat need a boost that Wade can provide.

Rahming: My gut reaction would be to put Wade right in the starting lineup while Waiters is rehabbing his ankle, but I had a reality check and decided to review the numbers. Did you know that Wade’s Value Over Replacement Player rating for the past three seasons were 1.6, 1.3, and 0? That means that last season, Wade was dead even with all players in the league on a minimum salary that weren’t in regular rotations for their teams. In other words last year, Dwyane Wade equaled Lance Stephenson, Robin Lopez, and Rodney Hood. Those aren’t terrible players, but they’re either bench players or should be bench players for a reason. I think Spoelstra should make the right call and give the starting spot to Tyler Johnson, and feature Wade off the bench.

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